Heartburn for the stuffed shirts: "Here's how to make your own conversation-starting, public art masterpiece."

Boy, the opening sentence might have been written with New Albany in mind.

If just one of us commences the non-sanctioned installation of chalk sidewalk art, Bob Caesar will materialize with a fire hose to eliminate this threat to regimented, top-down governance.

But if a dozen of us do the same thing?

Jeff Gahan will call out the whole fire department. However, it might be great fun while it lasts.

Stencils, people. STENCILS.

TAKE THE STRONG TOWNS PUBLIC ART CHALLENGE

Here are some words you might associate with public art in your city: permits, permission, permanent, pretty-much-required-that-you-have-artistic-talent. But today, Strong Towns member and graphic designer Haile McCollum is here to prove you wrong--and issue you a challenge.

As Gracen Johnson showed us yesterday, some of the greatest public art sparks a process, or at least a conversation in your community about the space you all occupy together. Haile’s temporary chalk-art piece (above) makes you stop, look and wonder--and it can be a great, bottom-up way to let your community and your local decision makers know how you want your world to be built.

And the best part? Anyone can do it.

Here's how to make your own conversation-starting, public art masterpiece, with Haile's suggestions for achieving maximum success. Once you've finished reading, we challenge you to take this on in your own town, then show us the results.